KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Tuesday that Washington is hopeful a peace agreement to bring an end to the 17-year war in Afghanistan can be reached before Sept. 1.

Pompeo, in a brief visit to Afghanistan, spoke just days before the start of a fresh round of talks between Washington's peace envoy, Zalmay Khalilzad, and the Taliban in the Middle Eastern State of Qatar, where the religious militia maintains a political office.

So far, the Taliban have refused to hold direct talks with the Afghan government and Afghan-to-Afghan talks planned for earlier this ye...